A Butterfly Flaps Its Wings
by oncethrown
Summary: Just before grauduation Topanga gets sent to an alternative present. One where she remained a flower child, she and Cory never dated, and she and Minkus are leaving for Yale in a matter of days. Can Cory and Topanga make it anywhere?
1. Graduation

_Authoress Note: This was written for the Boy Meets World Fandom challenges being issued in the "Need Some Help?" forum. The challenge (which to be fair, I issued) was to write a fantasy episode like "And Then There Was Shawn", "I Was A Teenage Spy", "Eric Hollywood", "No Guts No Cory", "The Psychotic Episode" the list goes on and on. Unlike my other stories, this story will not contain slash. sorry. I'm really excited for this story, it should be fun, reviews are always appreciated. _

"Stop it, stop it!" Topanga laughed from the stair case. Her mother and Aunt Prudence continued to hum "Pomp and Circumstance" loudly in the living room as Topanga ran up the stairs.

She was really happy that her parents had been able to come up to Philadelphia for her graduation. She had only seen them twice since they had moved to Pittsburg two years ago and now they were staying for the whole week. Topanga reached the top of the stairs, and ducked into the bathroom. John Adam's High Graduation Ceremony started in 3 hours and she still had to do her hair and make up and then get her graduation pictures taken.

She plugged in her straightener, set it on the little shelf above the sink and then caught herself humming Pomp and Circumstance under her breath as she took her make up out of the medicine cabinet and set the little containers on the shelf next to the straightener. She shook her head as though trying to shake the song out and pulled the handle on the faucet. The sink began to fill as she grabbed her shaving cream and razor from the shower. It would save time to just shave her legs in the sink. Topanga wished that she had had time to talk to her mother about what she thought Topanga should do about Cory and Yale. Well, to put it truthfully, Cory _OR_ Yale. For all the curly haired boy's reassurances and promises, Yale was a long walk from Philadelphia, and they had never been apart for more than a week or so. She wasn't sure what a year apart would do to them.

"Don't worry about it right now, Topanga," she whispered to herself, "Just get through commencement tonight. You can worry about what you are actually commencing tomorrow."

The song under her breath changed from Pomp and Circumstance to an a-rythmic little tune as she pulled one leg and then the other out of her pants and hung them carefully on the towel rack. She swung one leg into the sink and started splashing warm water on her calf. As she lathered shaving cream onto her leg she realized that her formless melody had morphed inexplicably into the wedding march. She cleared her throat and stopped humming altogether.

The straightener's cord uncurled a little, moving it too close to the edge of the shelf for comfort. Topanga rinsed the lather off of her hands, wiped them dry and pushed it away from the edge. The straightener's tip nudged a container of face powder, which bumped a pot of eye shadow which pushed a blush sample off of the shelf. Topanga caught the blush, but when she leaned forward to set it back on the shelf, the foot she was standing on slid on a small puddle of water she had splashed out of the sink. She fell forward and caught herself on the shelf above the sink which pulled down. The straightener tumbled toward the sink.

Before Topanga could fling out a hand to catch it or herself, she heard a hiss of water and a sizzling and suddenly the entire world began to spin. Not just the world, but everything, time and space were spinning and she only caught flashes of what was spinning past her.

-She and Cory in a hotel room at prom-

-Sitting on Cory's couch, nestled against him with wet hair and wearing his clothes-

-She Cory all dressed up, dancing together in a wrestling ring-

-Kissing Cory at the fountain in Disney World-

-Being Trapped on the Subway with Cory for one wild New Year's Eve-

-Talking to Cory in a closet when they were supposed to be playing 7 Minutes in Heaven-

And pushing Cory, who's hair stood up straight a foot above his head, against a locker in the 6th grade and kissing him...everything froze as her lips touched his, and then everything began to spin faster , she and Cory weren't against the locker any more, his hair was straightened, mushed into a weird duck-like shape.

They were in the middle school cafeteria, and Shawn and another boy were laughing at Cory, the spinning changed directions... Shawn stopped laughing and moved to sit down at the table Topanga had invited Cory to sit at all those years ago... but that wasn't how it had happened... now Shawn was explaining that to get the students to care about the study hall librarian from being forced into retirement they had to appeal to the students on their level... and Stewart Minkus was agreeing... the spinning slowed just a little... now they were chained to the lockers, blocking the path to freedom on a Friday.

But it wasn't the people it had been before, the angry crowd went to go sign the petition like they had before, but instead of everyone shedding their hand cuffs and leaving Cory and Topanga alone... Cory, Topanga, Minkus and Shawn stood handcuffed to the lockers, reveling in their victory...

"I think this calls for a celebration burger at Chubbies," Topanga heard Shawn's voice, wavering like someone was spinning the volume dial back and forth... she heard herself replying "Do they serve anything vegetarian?" and Cory said, "We'll get Chubby to make you a salad. Coming Minkus?"

But that hadn't happened... had it?

Topanga's question went unanswered as time and space stopped swirling and everything went black.


	2. As Time Goes By

**Chapter Two "As Time Goes By"**

"Okay, Tippy, have you got everything?" Jedidiah asked Topanga. She was sitting on the couch flipping absentmindedly through one of Chloe's vegetarian cooking magazines as Chloe swept the floor and Jedidiah tried not to pace anxiously. She hoped Shawn was picking her up soon.

"Yeah, Jedidiah, I have my sleeping bag," She pointed, "I have the tent, I have a water bottle and a toothbrush, I have the extra blanket you gave me, even though it's August" she laughed, "I'm fine."

"And where are you going?" Chloe asked.

"Franklin Campgrounds. Just outside the city."

"And when are you getting back?" Jedidiah asked.

"I don't know, sometime tomorrow afternoon," Topanga said nonchalantly.

There was a knock at the door, "Come in," she called.

"Hey Topanga, Hello Jedidiah, Chloe" Shawn walked into the Lawrence's living room nodding to each of them, "You ready to go?"

"Yeah, can you grab some of my stuff?" Topanga asked picking up the sleeping bag carefully.

"Yeah sure."

"Wait-" Jedidiah started, "You're going with Shawn?"

"Yeah, dad," Topanga laughed, "And Cory and Stewart. You know, my friends?"

"Chloe did you know about this?" Jedidiah appealed to his wife.

"Yeah, Jedidiah. What's the big deal?" she responded.

"Well, honey, our daughter is going out to the woods with..."

"Her friends dear," Chloe sighed, "and by next week, she'll be at Yale, all the way in Connecticut and we won't know who she's out with or where she's going," Chloe stopped sweeping and looked up, "Have a good time kids."

"Thanks Chloe," Shawn said, "Don't worry, Jedidiah, your daughter's completely safe with me."

Jedidiah gave him an apprising look and Shawn took an uncomfortable step backward.

"Okay, well then," Topanga said, "With that, we're going to go."

She and Shawn walked out the door and to the car.

"Sorry about that," Topanga told Shawn, "The last 6 years he's been completely chill and for some reason he's been like that for the last couple of weeks, it's so strange"

"Well, now that Cory, Minkus and I are college men he knows we're dangerous after all," he grinned at her, "Nah, Topanga, the man doesn't want his little girl to grow up, it's not that weird," Shawn shrugged, "Not everyone's father throws them out of the house to live with their brother."

"How's that going for you?" Topanga asked smirking at him He was playing for sympathy but he knew he wouldn't get it from her.

"Umm... it's interesting. I mean, it's not that Jack and I aren't hitting it off. It was just really strange to have this connection with him, but not actually know anything about him," He brushed his hair away from his face. It immediately swung back.

"I think I get what you mean, Shawnie, " Topanga said as he opened up the back of his rust-heap station wagon.

"We're starting to click now though," Shawn told her. He set the tent and her one small bag inside and took the sleeping bag from her.

"Careful with that. I'm smuggling a little something for the night in it," Topanga waggled her eyebrows at him.

He grinned at her and pulled the back door shut "Really? What did you get?"

"Chloe's homemade strawberry wine. I was going to try to steal a little of Jedidiah's pot, but he was running low and I thought he'd notice."

"Why would you have to steal pot from your father? I thought your old hippie parents were down with that. In fact didn't Jedidiah get you a dime bag for your birthday one year?" Shawn asked.

"Yeah. That was an interesting sweet sixteen," She laughed, "But no, I haven't smoked in a while, and I don't have any of my own, and normally I could just ask, but you saw how weird he was being about me going camping with you guys when, in like, June, he wouldn't have cared. I don't think he'd react well to me being like, Hey Jedidiah, I'm going to the woods with three dangerous college guys, by the way can we please have some illegal drugs?"

"Hey-" Cory yelled, sticking his head out the window, "I wanna start a fire before it gets dark. I brought marshmallows!"

"Doesn't matter," Shawn said to Topanga under his breath, "Not up for it tonight anyway, and you know we'd never convince Cory to do it. Maybe Minkus, but not Cory."

"Now, there aren't, you know, wild animals in this camp ground are there?" Cory asked as Topanga slid into shot gun.

"You're being neurotic again, Cor," Minkus sighed pulling his black plastic rimmed glasses off his face and wiping them on his T-shirt. Shawn had ridiculed Minkus for nearly a solid week last summer when Minkus had shown up at Cory's house wearing the tight jeans and tight rimmed T-shirt that Topanga had talked him into when they went to the mall. "You're practically on display, man" Shawn had snickered. But the look worked on Minkus. He was muscular in a skinny sort of way. His bowl-cut days were long over and his hair, which had darkened as he grew up and was now a medium sort of brown, hung to just above his shoulders in a shag cut.

"That doesn't answer the question Minkus," Cory responded, "Now animals, yes or no?"

"Cor," Topanga laughed, "It's a campground."

"Wolves?"

"No. Bunnies and birds and squirrels."

"Rabid squirrels?"

Topanga shook back her mass of curly hair and pulled on her seat belt "Sure, Cory. Rabid squirrels. Whatever you want."

Shawn had been ignoring this conversation as he whispered to the steering wheel in soothing tones "Okay, baby, we're going outside of Philly now, but I promise we'll come back in the morning," he ran a hand along the dashboard, "It'll be fun, you just gotta make it there for me sweet heart."

"Shawn, I really wish you would get a car that didn't run on positive thinking, sweet talk, and divine intervention," Cory said.

"Hey, if you're going to talk that way about Francesca, you're going to walk," Shawn warned him.

"Sorry Francesca, " Cory muttered.

"She forgives you," Shawn patted the dashboard softly and turned the key in the ignition. The engine sputtered momentarily and then began to purr.

"Oh good girl," Shawn sighed in relief patting the door. They pulled out of Topanga's driveway and turned into the neighborhood. The car was a piece, but Shawn had bought it with his own money, it was his, and he loved it. Topanga rolled down her window. It got stuck halfway down.

"Oh yeah, you have to push it down with one hand and turn the crank with the other now" Shawn sighed in mild annoyance, "Cory broke it yesterday."

"Sorry. Again."

Topanga laughed and started working the window further down, "God, I'm going to miss this car! I'm going to miss Philadelphia, and Chubbies, and you guys. I'm going to miss you guys so much!"

"I am just excited to get the hell out of here," Minkus sighed, "I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm going to miss you all like hell, but the only thing getting me through this summer with my parents is knowing it's the last freaking one. I'm going to Yale, finding a place in New Haven and never coming back."

The other three nodded mutely. They all knew about Minkus's family stuff.

"Can't blame you, man," Shawn said. He had lived at the Minkus residence for a while when his mom had taken off and his father had gone after her. He had not stayed long before moving in with Cory, and when the Matthews home had just been too crowded he had ended up staying with Topanga and her parents.

"You're going to come back on breaks though, right?" Cory asked.

"Yeah, my parents will take you back with us," Topanga said.

"And there's always room for you at my place," Shawn said. Topanga and Cory agreed.

"Yeah, I'll be back for breaks. I'll have to visit you guys, you know that," Minkus smiled.

"What about you guys?" Topanga asked, "Are you excited for Pennbrooke?"

"Yeah, definitely," Cory said, "Though I gotta say it's going to be really, really weird to not have Feeny as a teacher."

"Yeah," Topanga and Minkus agreed.

"I'm just bummed that my roommate wakes up loudly from clown dreams all the time" Shawn grinned into the rearview mirror.

"Yeah, I know. My roommate spends an hour every morning getting his hair to do this," Cory countered, waving his hands in front of his face in imitation of Shawn's hair.

Topanga and Minkus snorted.

"How did you find that out?" Shawn demanded.

"You live with my brother, the only other guy I know who spends enough time on his hair to worry about how much time you take in the bathroom."

Topanga and Minkus kept laughing and Shawn started shouting to be heard over them

"Okay, okay. Here is the plan you philistines-" they settled down to listen," We rented a lot near the back of the park on a really slow night, there is no patrol of any kind. We set up the tent, start up a fire, roast Cory's marshmallows, and once it gets dark the lovely Miss Lawrence has acquired a bottle of wine. Anybody else manage to snag beverages?"

"I lifted a bottle of scotch from the basement," Minkus said, "They'll never notice it's missing."

"And I took Eric's rum that he's never going to drink and I don't think he realizes he still has," Shawn offered, "Cory?"

Topanga and Minkus turned to look at Cory, who had reddened slightly, "Oh, see, when you said beverages, I thought you meant..." Cory laughed nervously, "I didn't realize you meant _beverages_. "

"What did you bring Cor?" Shawn asked, clearly amused.

"Diet Orange Shasta. It was on sale," Cory said, pulling the bottle out of his back pack.

The other three laughed.

"No worries Cory," Topanga told him, "Between the three of us we have more than enough."

"I don't know about this you guys," Cory said, "We're underage, in a public place, with wild animals, " Minkus rolled his eyes, "It doesn't seem like a good idea."

"Come on Cory," Minkus said, "It'll be fine. Relax."

"Seriously you guys, I don't know if I'm comfortable with this,"

"It's our last real summer, Cory. We are never going to be together in the same way again. One last bonding experience you know?" Shawn said.

Topanga turned in her seat to face him, "Cory, don't let them pressure you, if your really not okay with this, I think Francesca can make it back to your house. But," She bit her lip, "it won't be the same with out you."

He couldn't resist that, "Okay, fine. I'll come," Cory groaned "But you know if we get caught I'm pinning whatever I can on you three right?" He laughed.

"Shut up and pass the Shasta, Cor," Minkus replied.


	3. I Never Sang For My Legal Guardian

_Authoress Note: I'd like to mention again that this story is part of a challenge from the "Need Some Help?" forum and I hope some of the other talented people on this site will give it a shot because I'd really love to see what you all come up with. _

_Warning: Anything clearly horribly misspelled was done on purpose for sound reasons. If it doesn't make sense say it out loud._

**Chapter Three "I Never Sang For My Legal Guardian"**

Raaaaahhhhxaaaane! You don't have to put out that red light!" the four belted as they meandered along the path. After the rum had been passed around a few times it had been easy for Shawn and Topanga to talk Cory and Minkus into heading down to the pond. Minkus had put the wine, rum, and scotch into his back pack, and Cory, a little unsteadily, had shoved the park map in as well despite Shawn and Topanga's insistence that they knew their way around.

"Walk the streets for money! You don't care if it's wrong or if it is right!" they sang.

"I love this song," Cory laughed.

"Me too," Topanga sighed, "Do you know what it always makes me think of?"

"What?" Cory grinned.

"When we came to visit you after you got your appendix taken out," Topanga giggled.

"Oh, yeah," Minkus laughed, "and you were only singing every other line-"

"Because you thought you were singing a duet with King Louis," Shawn finished.

"I don't remember that," Cory said shaking his head.

"Doesn't surprise me babe, you were on a lot of painkillers," Topanga told him turning back to face him and patting his cheek softly.

"Raaahhhxaaaane!" Minkus started the song up again, waving the arm that wasn't wrapped around Topanga. His hand rested just below the waist band of what he thought of as her "Topanga jeans". They used to belong to Chloe and Topanga had worn them at least once a week since they had been given to her freshman year. They were old, and patched all over (every patch a different fabric) with little bits of embroidery from both Chloe and Topanga along the pockets and waistband. Minkus wondered if he was holding her a little tighter than absolutely necessary and then imagined how if his hand were to slide up on her hip just a little it would slip under the light green gauze of her shirt and onto her stomach. He bit the inside of his cheek and tried to think about the pain instead.

"You don't have to wear that dress tonight!" Topanga belted.

The path forked and Shawn steered Cory down the left path as they both cried, "Raahhxaaane! You don't have to sell your body to the night!"

"Hey, boys!" Topanga called, "You're going the wrong way." Cory and Shawn spun around to face her.

"My dear, sweet Topanga," Shawn started, "I've taken many a young lady to a romantic moonlit picnic by the gen'ly lapping water of this pond, and I'm sure I'm going the right way." Shawn got poetic when he was drinking.

"Trust me," Topanga said, Cory could see her smile even in the dark, "It's this way."

"She's proll- probaly-" Cory stuttered, "Let's jus' follow her Shawn."

"Fine. I guess we can always turn back."

Cory and Shawn walked over to Minkus and Topanga, Cory threw his other arm over Minkus's shoulders and the four of them walked together.

"What I always think of when I hear that song, is that dance at Hamilton High, in like, freshman year? Remember?" asked Cory

"Oh yeah, when we all pretended to be foreign exchange students, and the girl at the front let us all in because she thought Shawn was hot with his Italian accent," Topanga said.

"Even with those awful bangs," Minkus snorted.

"Hey, shut up. They weren't bangs," Shawn snapped, "And you're one to talk, your hair covers half of your face."

"I should pretend to be French more often," Topanga sighed, "That was fun."

"Yeah. It's amazing what an accent will do for you, " Minkus said, "I danced with more way more girls as a Brit than I would've as an American."

"Kay, up this hill you guys," Topanga said pulling the line after her. From the top a decently sized man-made pond spread out below them, "Viola!" she exclaimed sticking her tongue out at Shawn.

Topanga pulled her shoes off as soon as she hit the sand, ran to the shoreline, rolled up the legs of her jeans and splashed her feet down into the water. All three boys followed her example.

Unlike along the paths, there were no street lamps by the pond and without their slightly toxic orange glow the water was inky black. The peaks of the little ripples sliding along in the breeze were white in the full moon.

Minkus pulled the rum out of his back pack, "To Sting, and The Police," he toasted taking a pull at the bottle and passing it down.

"I love nights like this, " Topanga said after she too had toasted Sting and The Police, "When the moonlight is so bright you can actually see colors. It's so beautiful. We should all come down here sometime when Stewart and I are back in town."

"When is your first break?" Cory asked resting his weight on his arms spread behind him, one arm behind Topanga, not quite touching her and the other behind Shawn who was hunched forward, his fingers playing on the surface of the pond.

"November," Minkus answered, "Like a four day weekend."

"Well, it'll be too cold to come up here in November," Cory lamented.

"Not if you have someone to keep you warm," Shawn and Topanga said in unison. They both laughed.

"Who were you up here with?" Cory inquired. He was just curious.

"Drew Ainsel and Jeff Klinghoff," She answered with a nostalgic smile.

"Whoa, Whoa, wait-" Minkus cried, "At the same time?"

Topanga snorted, "Stewart!" she laughed, "Two different Novembers."

"You brought Debbie up here didn't you Shawn?" Cory smirked.

"Yeah, yeah I did."

"I don't remember Debbie," Minkus said, "Forgive me I can't keep track of the masses of girls that you've been through."

"Debbie," Shawn sighed, "Was the girl that so aptly framed Cory's little gender investigation piece junior year. The girl that gave us the idea for Chick Like Me. "

"God, you two at Chubbies that night was one of the top moments of my whole entire life," Minkus guffawed.

"Ahh, you would be laughing much harder if you'd heard the whole story, which now that we are all long graduated I will tell you. So I thought that Debbie liked me because she knew about the article and how I understood the girl's side of dating and wouldn't pressure her right?"

"Sure," Topanga said, "That makes sense."

"It makes sense, but is not the whole story," Cory, who of course, Shawn had already told, giggled.

"Hey, I'm telling the story," Shawn scolded, "Anyway, it turns out that she wasn't actually into the 'sensitive guy thing'. We'd been dating for a couple weeks when she invited me over to her parents house. And before she would make out with me she put me in blush and lipstick. She thought the cross-dressing was a turn on."

Topanga and Minkus laughed.

"And you let her put you in make up?" Minkus demanded.

"Hey man," Shawn replied, "Do you remember Debbie Kowalski? She was smart, and funny and interesting and completely, utterly beautiful. So what if she was a little eccentric? It isn't exactly normal for a straight guy to go to school in drag, pick up a hockey player and go on a date with him."

"Plus as I remember Shawn looked damn good in a little rouge and lipstick," Topanga smirked.

"Debbie thought so too," Shawn continued, "So we've been dating for a like a month and a half, and she calls me one night and she wants to find somewhere to be alone for the night. It had been pretty mild so far for early November so Topanga suggests Franklin Campgrounds and lends me 'er tent. And you know, I'm surprised that Debbie's moving so fast, but not opposed to it, and I want to have this special night for her, so I pack Francesca full of blankets, and I go and buy a bundle of firewood, I borrow all of your thermoses and fill them with hot cocoa and soup and the two of us head out here. We set up the tent, wrap up together in one of the quilts, and drink hot cocoa," Cory, Topanga and Minkus could hear the slight slur in Shawn's voice. He was definitely buzzing by this point.

"That's really sweet actually," Topanga said.

"And then," Shawn continued in the unmistakable tone of someone getting to the good part, "She opens up her back pack and takes out lit'rally a handful of condoms, her whole make up kit, _a wig_, and this _strappy back red dress_ that she apparently wore to her grandparents 50th wedding anniversary! She wanned me to dress up like Veronica and make love to her,"

"What did you do!" Minkus demanded, "You didn't do it? Don't tell me you did it!"

"I look around at all this make up, and this shimmering dress, and this trampled wig and her pouty, anxious face, and I say- Look Debbie, I like you a lot, you're an awesome girl, but it is way too cold for this dress, the wig is a mess, this blush is so not my color, the condoms aren't lubricated and THIS IS FREAKIN' WEIRD! Maybe we should just get some sleep and never talk about this again. And she took half the blankets and I took the other half and we went to sleep on separate sides and I drove her home the next morning and we haven't said so much as "hello" ever since. But I heard pretty reliably through the grapevine that she is now dating Lilly Anderson, who I must say, bears a striking resemblance to Veronica Wasboyski."

"I can not believe that you did not tell us that story two years ago," Minkus gasped between guffaws.

"Well you know how rumor spreads. I figured if I said anything about it it would just rebound on me you know."

"Like everyone would know you let her put make up on you?" Cory asked.

"Pretty much, yeah."

Topanga raised the bottle of rum "To Lilly Anderson an' Debbie Kowalski and many happy years!" They all drank to that.

"You know what?" Shawn said when the bottle had gone around- "To Veronica Wasboyski, Cora the waitress and their stylis'," he nodded to Topanga, " and arical editor" he shook Minkus's hand and took another pull. The bottle went back around.

They sat in silence for a little while, before Minkus said "Yeah, I've been tryin' to think of something that's happened to me or a rumor I've heard or something, but there's just nothing that tops that story."

"I know. Ye' another reason I never tell it. It is so powerful."

"You guys?" Cory ventured, "I'm drunk."

They all laughed and Topanga climbed to her feet, "Raahhhxaaanee!" She cried.

"You don't have to put on that red light!" Cory and Minkus replied.

They stood with varying degrees of success, and all singing, they danced around the beach, Topanga twirling between the three boys. The dance moved into the water and quickly became a splashing and dunking fight finally subsiding when Cory fell face first into the water and didn't pop back up quickly enough for comfort. He was coughing and sputtering when Shawn pulled him out and it was decided that they should all go back to camp and get the fire going again to dry out.

"I'll lead the way back?" Topanga smiled at Shawn who stuck his tongue out at her. The walk back seemed shorter than that walk there despite the fact that none of the four were walking as quickly, steadily or reliably as they had been on the way to the pond.

"I'monna get pneumonia," Cory complained woozily as Shawn and Topanga set him down by the fire. The last shot of rum had hit him pretty hard. The embers were still going and they had enough kindling in the tent to get the flames back up with in half an hour.

"Shawn, han' me one o' the marshellamo sticks would ya?" Topanga asked. Shawn passed one over. She peeled her soaking gauzy green tunic off herself draped it over the stick and then being very careful to keep it high above the flames, held it above the fire to dry out.

"Tomanga, ya look like some ancient fire goddess," Shawn said. And she did, Cory and Minkus thought. Her skin was luminous with a bronze-orange color as she stood there in her forest green bra and her water logged jeans hanging low on her hips. Her hair, which hung down to her waist in it's normal curls was nearly to her knees now that it was straight. None of them had seen her hair straight.

"Shawn, you jus' called me Tomanga," She laughed, "Have some water."

"If you say so," Shawn sighed, "You take such goo' care o' me. Minkus, gimme the water bottle?"

Minkus handed it over and Shawn drank deeply from it and passed it to Cory.

"Cor? Do you want me to dry out your shirt for you?" Shawn asked peeling off his own.

Cory looked at Topanga, who shook her head just a little, "No thas okay. I'll jus se' it by the fire," he tried to struggle out of his shirt, but couldn't get it off. The other three giggled at him.

"Cory, did you bring a change of clothes for tomorrow?" Shawn asked.

"Yep" Cory said.

"Do you think you can get into them yourself?" Topanga asked.

Cory laughed, "Umm.. prolly. yeah"

Shawn set his shirt by the fire and went to retrieve Cory's clothes from the tent, "Let's get inna these away from the fire bud."

With help from Shawn, Cory got into his dry clothes and set his wet one's by the fire. Minkus had also brought dry clothes, but got changed without assistance.

"I think Drew Ainsel was probally my bes' high school relationship," Topanga said out of nowhere, watching her shirt, "He was a good guy."

"I always thought you an' Jeff er cute persnully," Shawn commented, "My bes' relationship was Rachel Harper. She was really grea'. Wish she hadna moved."

Minkus sighed, "Well. My only girlfrien' was Becca Cortez, so she was prolly the best."

"You know wha?" Cory said drunkenly from where he was laying on the ground, "I shou' say Missy Rosin-Robinon- Ro-

"Missy Robinson," Shawn supplied.

"Yeah, her. But I really wish I'd go'en to give Lauren fromma ski trip a chance. We 'ad a good time."

"Yeah," Shawn agreed, "You liked her. Too ba' she lived so far way."

Topanga took her shirt away from the fire, felt it, slid it off the stick and pulled it back on. Then she unzipped her pants, struggled out of them and stood by the fire holding them out in front of her. Shawn followed suit.

"So what are you guys looking forward to about college?"

"Moving the hell out," Minkus responded immediately.

"Everything," Topanga said, "New people new environ-envro- new place. A dorm, a roommate. New teachers. A challenge"

"Yeah," Shawn said, "I'm lookin' forward to being able to concentrate on one subject instead of doin' everything."

"Wer goin' ta Pennbrooke," Cory offered in a sing-song voice from the ground.

Topanga, Minkus, and Shawn all laughed.

"Cor?" Topanga said, "You should drink some more water, sweet-heart."

Minkus helped Cory sit up and handed him the water bottle. He really didn't spill that much on himself.

They glided through some of the same old topics of conversation for another half hour or so while Topanga and Shawn's pants dried. Finally they both decided that their pants were as dry as they were going to get, slid back into them and sat down. Shawn threw one arm around Topanga and the other around Cory and Minkus pulled up to Topanga's other side. They stared into the fire.

"I'm gonna miss you guys," Shawn announced, "I love you guys."

"Shawnie, I can't feel my face," Cory giggled poking himself in the cheek, "Shou' I be worried?"

Shawn leaned over and kissed him on the cheek then pulled back and laughed when Cory wiped his hand across his cheek, "Hey! I haven' had enough rum for tha' kinda thing Shawn Hunner'."

"I have," Topanga said in a fake suggestive tone and then laughed. Shawn raised an eyebrow at her, and then without saying anything leaned across her and kissed her full on the lips. Minkus and Cory both laughed (Cory continuing to feel his own face as he did). But the kiss kept going and both got uncomfortable until finally Topanga and Shawn pulled apart, laughed, and Shawn kissed her quickly on the forehead.

"Minkus!" Shawn said leaning toward him.

"No," Minkus refused.

"Minkus!" Shawn repeated.

"Fine, this once, 'cause we're drunk and we're leavin' soon," Minkus gave in and leaned across Topanga just slightly. Shawn kissed him on the forehead.

"I love you guys," Shawn repeated. They all scooted a little closer to the fire and each other and watched the logs burning until finally Cory's head drooped onto Shawn's shoulder and Topanga asked if anyone else was falling asleep.

They put out the fire and unrolled the sleeping bags into the tent. Minkus and Shawn carried Cory into the tent and laid him down on his sleeping bag on the far right side where he fell asleep right away, Minkus took the spot on Topanga's right and Shawn laid down on her left.

"Goodnight boys," Topanga sighed.

"Goodnight, Topanga," Minkus replied.

"Goodnight, Topanga," Shawn echoed, and Minkus noted, as if the kiss hadn't been enough, Shawn's arm was lying across Topanga's stomach. Minkus rolled over so he wouldn't be facing them, and reminding himself that in a week, this would all be different, drifted off to sleep.


	4. Model Family

Cory had had better mornings. He woke up stiff and cold with his stomach hurting. A lot. He had not meant to get that drunk last night.

He sat up carefully. No headache. No sensitivity to light. Allright, no hangover. His stomach lining has just been dissolved. Great.

He looked around the tent. The other three were still asleep. Minkus had thought to bring a blanket and was laying flat on his back underneath it, his hands folded over the top like a corpse at a viewing. He always slept like that. It was terrifying.

On the other side of Minkus Topanga and Shawn were keeping each other warm. Topanga's head rested on one of Shawn's arms while his other was wrapped around her back. Her face was pressed against his chest and she had an arm laying across his neck. It looked uncomfortable. But, Cory thought guiltily, not that uncomfortable.

A slightly fuzzy memory surfaced in Cory's mind. Topanga and Shawn had kissed last night? He strained to remember if anything else had happened that might have led to their cozy situation. He didn't come up with anything, but as he looked down at himself and realized that this was not what he had been wearing last night, it occurred to him that just because he could not remember it, did not mean that it had not happened.

It was stuffy in the tent and Cory wasn't going to get back to sleep with his stomach raging at him anyway, so he carefully climbed over Minkus and squatted down to unzip the tent flap.

"Hey, man," he hear Minkus say, "You feeling okay? You were really gone last night."

"I'm okay," Cory whispered, "I just need some air. And to find my clothes and my shoes and something to drink. My mouth feels disgusting."

"You don't have to whisper man," Minkus said, looking at Shawn and Topanga. Cory wondered if he had imagined the look of disappointment on Minkus's face, "You know as well as I do that it's almost impossible to wake either of them up."

Cory and Minkus crawled out of the tent. They found Cory's wet clothes laying by the fire, filthy with ash that had blown onto them. Topanga's water bottle and Cory's bottle of Diet Orange Shasta turned up pretty easily too. Cory gulped down nearly a quarter of the liter of Shasta without pause.

"Hey man, spread the wealth, I'm thirsty too," Minkus said. Cory passed him the bottle.

"We should save some for Shawn and Topanga," Cory said screwing the cap back on when Minkus had finished his gulp.

"Hmm..." Minkus responded.

"If they aren't up soon I'm going to go wake them up," Cory yawned, "I've got to get something to eat, my stomach is killing me."

"Do you think there is anything going on between Shawn and Topanga?" Minkus asked abruptly.

"What?" Cory demanded, dumfounded.

Minkus sighed exasperatedly, "Come on, making out last night, being practically on top of each other right now-"

"I heard you, I heard you," Cory said, "Look, Minkus- Shawn and Topanga have always been like that with each other. You know a little flirty a little... rambunctious, but they are just friends. Plus they are our best friends. Even if by some crazy, _impossible_ chance they did hook up there is no way they wouldn't tell us like, the instant it happened."

"Cory, don't say it like that," Minkus sighed.

"Why not?" laughed Cory.

"Because when you say something with that much conviction you always end up wrong," Minkus said dully.

"That is _not_.. well, fine, maybe it _is_ true," Cory admitted, "Anyway Minkus what do you care if Topanga and Shawn are... whatever?"

Minkus rolled his head back and let out an alarming sort of growling noise

"God, isn't it obvious Cor? I... have a thing for Topanga. Like, really have a thing for Topanga," he said sounding embarrassed, "And... I mean, if Topanga and I are both at Yale... but if she and Shawn... you know. I'd be the only familiar face there, and we're friends so we'd spend time together, but," He growled a little again, "Dammit. I can't compete with Shawn, Cory."

"Gosh, Minkus. I...I don't know what to say to that."

"Don't worry about it." Minkus sighed rubbing his hands over his face, "Let's just keep looking for your shoes."

They were still looking for Cory's shoes fifteen minutes later when Shawn and Topanga emerged from the tent.

"Morning boys," She said.

"Morning," they chorused back.

"How you feeling Cor?" Topanga asked gently. Cory looked up at her. Topanga's gauzy shirt was completely wrinkled and disarrayed, a little bit of her bra peaked out of it. There were lines in the skin on her arms and face from her sleeping bag and her hair had dried into a massive frizzing mane that hung to her waist. She was a mess but Cory still felt his breath catch.

"I'm fine," he replied carefully. He found himself unexpectedly very thankful that he was already bent over.

"What are you guys looking for?" Shawn asked.

"We can't find Cory's freaking shoes anywhere," Minkus complained.

"They're in the tent," Topanga told them, jerking a thumb behind her.

"Great," Minkus said, "You can just grab them we can throw everything into the car and then we can head home before my parents get back from out of town."

"Yeah, I'll do that in just a sec-" Cory said to the ground. Baseballbaseballbaseballbaseball...

"Wait," Shawn started, "If your parents are out of town why didn't' we drink at your house?"

"Are you out of your mind, Hunter? Do you really think my mother wouldn't notice a spec of dirt in the foyer, or less toilet paper than there should be? Or the pillows being just slightly flatter than she'd left them?"

"Cory are you sure you're all right?" Topanga asked.

"Yeah," Cory sad straightening up gratefully, "My stomach is just sour from last night. I don't think the rum agreed with me."

"We'll go get lunch at Chubbies," Shawn offered.

"I can't, I have to pack," Topanga said.

"Me too," Minkus said.

"You and me Cor," Shawn shrugged.

"Great, let's get out of here."

Packing up was quick work and Francesca required less of a pep talk than anticipated to get started. They were turning onto Minkus's block in no time.

"Oh shit," Minkus gasped as his house came into view. "The car's in the driveway. They're already back!"

No one knew what to reply.

"Shawn, just drop me off here. I don't want them to know who I was out with."

"What? Why?" Topanga inquired.

"Trust me I'll get in more trouble if they know I was out with you. I'll just leave my stuff in the car and get it later."

"What do your parents have against us?" Shawn asked pulling up to the curb.

"Honestly?" Minkus growled, "They think you and Cory are like _together_ and that you," he cast an apologetic look at Topanga "Are some sort of dangerous radical. Mom's exact words were "drops acid like she drops her panties" sorry Topanga. I've got to go and see if I can get this dealt with. If I don't call by 7:00 tonight don't call me."

"Later, Good luck," Cory called.

Topanga broke out laughing as Shawn drove away, " 'Drops acid like she drops her panties?' His parents are such freaks."

"I didn't know his parents thought Cory and I were a couple," Shawn laughed, "Maybe that's why they wanted me out of their house so badly."

"What?" Cory demanded, "That's what he meant by _together_? Why would they think that?"

"Well you guys are... close," Topanga said gently.

"But in a totally heterosexual, manly, not putting down the seat sort of way right?" Cory asked.

"Yes." Shawn and Topanga answered in completely insincere unison.

"Cor, don't worry about what Minkus's parents think. After the whole thing with Niles they think everyone's gay."

Niles was Minkus's older brother. When Niles was 16 he came out of the closet to his parents, and even worse, he didn't want to go to Harvard and study law, he wanted to move to California and write comic books. In less than 5 minutes he had completely shattered their dreams of being a perfect suburban family with perfect, ivy-league bound, suburban children. They threw Niles in therapy, switching therapists until they found one that agreed he needed to be fixed. They checked his back pack whenever he left the house and came back in. They even took his bedroom door out of it's frame, and monitored all of his phone calls. Niles had put up with it for six months before he knocked on 13 year old Stewart's door in the middle of the night, told him that he was leaving with a friend but he couldn't tell him where and hugged him goodbye. Stewart, who had hero-worshipped his older brother, was completely crushed. His relationship with his parents, already strained by their high expectations, had grown worse and worse. When Niles had turned 18 and could finally keep in touch with his brother without fear of his parents finding him there had been a brief beam of sunlight into the chronically overcast Minkus home, but it had been short-lived.

"Stewart says Niles and his boyfriend are living in Connecticut. I forget the name of the town, but it's not that far from New Haven. He wants me to go visit them with him some time." Topanga said.

"You two are planning a cozy weekend getaway already," Shawn smirked.

"Shut-up, Hunter," Topanga laughed hitting him in the shoulder.

For the rest of the ride to Topanga's Shawn and Topanga bitched about how awful Minkus's parents were, while Cory wondered if Shawn knew anything about Minkus and Topanga.

"Call me later babe," Shawn called after her out the window after she slammed Francesca's trunk. He turned in his seat to face Cory, "So, still up for Chubbies?"

"Yah, sure, let's go," Cory said, snapping back from watching Topanga run inside.


	5. It's Not You It's Me

**Chapter 5 It's not you- It's me**

Minkus walked down the block imaging he had the guts to really piss off his parents. He wanted to tell them that he had been out with Shawn and Cory and Topanga. He wanted to tell them he had been drinking. He wanted to lie to them, shock them, offend them. He wanted to make up something that would just horrify them.

He wanted to see if his father would jump down his throat the way he did when Minkus got less than a perfect score on a test if Minkus told him he was sleeping with Shawn. Or if his mother's face would look more heart-broken than it did when he forgot to put the toilet seat down if he told her that he'd gotten Topanga pregnant and they were moving to Wales to live on a matriarchal commune where they worshiped the Goddess and grew their own food.

He sighed angrily as he wiped his shoes on the welcome mat outside the front door. You had to carefully wipe your feet before you could come inside the house and then you had to set your shoes side by side next to the other shoes in the front closet. His mother mopped the foyer floor every morning right before she moved all the shoes outside and vacuumed the inside of the closet. Then she swept the front step and carefully put all the shoes back. She washed the welcome mat every Tuesday afternoon.

Minkus walked in the front door, exasperatedly took off his shoes and set them in the closet and gave his immaculate living room a poisonous look. He hated every sparkling inch of this house.

In Topanga's living room plants overflowed their pots in every corner. Laundry (occasionally of an intimate nature) hung unembarrassed in the open windows to dry on breezy days. The furniture was comfortable and worn out and mismatched. The coffee table was strewn with interesting and unconventional magazines, dirty dishes, the family's keys, incense, and anything else that hadn't been put away. It was warm and inviting just like Shawn and Cory's living rooms. Minkus's living room was so sterile you could perform surgery in it if it weren't for the fact that if blood got on the carpet his mother would be scurrying around under the operating table trying to scrub it out. It looked like a show living room: devoid of human presence and personality.

And it was no different now. No one was in the living room. No one was ever in the living room and Minkus petulantly wondered why they even bothered to call it that as he walked into the kitchen where his mother was daintily loading the dishwasher. Her hair didn't move as she moved and she was wearing lipstick and high heels. She was like some bizarre Stepford throwback.

"Good Morning Mother," He said listlessly. She put the dish she was holding in the dishwasher before she turned around.

""Good Morning Mother" That just takes care of everything doesn't it?" His mother said, "Your father and I have been worried sick about you all day. You didn't call to say where you were going, or leave a note, but never mind. You've graced me with a polite "Good Morning Mother" so everything is just fine."

"I'm sorry, I-" Minkus started.

"I don't want to hear it Stewart. Here. " She handed him a plate with a plastic cover over it, "Sit at the table and eat your breakfast, which I'm sure is just dreadfully cold by now, and then go clean the upstairs, mow the lawn , trim the hedges and weed the garden. Your father and I will discuss this with you tonight at dinner."

Minkus sat at the table, lifted the cover off of his plate, and drearily began to eat his eggs benedict, made-from-scratch blueberry waffle and sausages from the "quaint little meat market" across town all the while thinking wistfully of a morning at Shawn's apartment when he and Shawn and Cory had eaten stale cheerios dry because the milk had gone bad.

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"Chloe?" Topanga called as she walked into the living room, "Chloe?"

"In here!" Chloe called from the kitchen, "How was your camping trip?"

Chloe had gotten up this morning and tried to make herself a cup of coffee only to discover that every glass, cup and mug in the house was in the pile of dirty dishes in the sink. She'd ended up drinking coffee out of one of the glass jars in the recycling bin while she washed a load of rags so that she could do the dishes, even though it was Jedidiah's chore.

"Oh it was fun," Topanga sighed walking in, "We roasted marshmallows and walked around and went down to the pond."

"Oh, that explains your hair," Chloe laughed grabbing a strand with a sudsy hand.

"Yeah," Topanga laughed, "Oh, hey, I've got a bottle of your wine in my sleeping bag, should I put that back in the cellar or in the fridge?"

"Put it in the fridge if it's open," Chloe replied.

"It's not. Shawn had rum so we didn't get into the wine."

"Oh, well then put it back in the cellar. We've already got apple wine in the fridge."

"Kay."

"You weren't drinking rum straight were you?" Chloe inquired, "Straight rum used to make me so sick."

"You and Cory. He was not in good shape this morning."

"Oh. Poor Cory. He is such a sweet polite kid. I haven't seen him in a while."

Topanga grabbed a rag and started to dry dishes, "Well, he's around."

"Around huh?" Chloe said beginning to scrub a pair of mismatched chopsticks.

"Yep."

Chloe dropped her rag in the sink, "Well, I've got a massage in half and hour, I'll leave the rest of these for your father. What are you going to do today?"

"Not sure," Topanga sighed, "Take a nap, do some packing. Think up a story to tell Jedidiah so he won't freak out."

"Oh, Topanga," Her mom said giving her a hug, "Don't worry about Jedidiah. He's just worried that you'll go off to Yale and turn into some power driven lawyer type who lives by the clock and never takes time to smell the roses. He thinks the Ivy League is conspiring to make you part of "The Man", " she laughed and let Topanga go, "He's just worried about his little girl."

"Chloe, I'm 18."

"I know sweetheart, and Nebula is 25, but your still our little girls," Chloe swatted her playfully on the cheek, "Jedidiah was going to make Caribbean Tofu steaks tonight. I know that's Shawn's favorite, and he's always welcome. I don't think he gets fed at that apartment of his."

"I'll call him," Topanga said laughing on the inside. No matter how much of a free spirit her mother thought she was the woman was still so much like Topanga's grandma. A skinny friend had to be fed.

Chloe gathered up her purse and keys, "Love ya," she said giving Topanga a peck on the forehead.

"You too," Topanga replied as Chloe swept out of the kitchen.

Topanga looked at the dishes and decided they could air dry before she headed up to her room. She took one look at the mess of boxes and things yet to be put into boxes and decided it could wait. Grabbing a book off the floor she went out to read in the hammock in the backyard. As she bounced down the stairs something floated out of the book. She stooped down to pick it up.

It was a picture from the 9th grade sock hop. Chloe and Mrs. Matthews had helped them all with costumes and then they had been the only people there who had dressed up. Topanga smiled. She remembered how much she had wanted Cory to take her to this dance, but Katie Lensher had asked him first.

And then ... maybe she had never really looked at it, or maybe it was just now that she hadn't seen it in so long... but it looked different. Topanga remembered a night of happy smiling people having fun.

Shawn, in his leather jacket, looked like a cross between Elvis and the Fonz and, grinning in a self satisfied way, had one arm thrown around Marie Trian who was grinning with him. Minkus had gone with Becca Cortez Becca was in pony tail and poodle skirt, Minkus looked like Buddy Holly. Becca didn't look happy either. Topanga had spent 2 hours to get her hair teased nearly a foot above her head and Arthur Gleeson was grinning fakely behind her. Cory, immutable as ever, looked nearly the same, but, with a lot of effort and pomade, had managed to part his hair. Katie had a hand on his shoulder and looked unenthusiastic about it.

Topanga frowned at the picture. This couldn't be right. They'd had a good time. Maybe it was just the picture. She tucked it back in her book and continued out to the yard. She flopped down in the hammock and pulled the picture back out.

It was different again. Everyone had faded out of it except her, Shawn and Cory. The other 5 people were ghostly outlines in the background and somehow, it looked like Shawn had a hand on Cory's shoulder and Cory's arm was around Topanga. Topanga squinted at the picture, but suddenly it was back to a group of 8 fully colored in people.

She shook her head. Maybe she'd just had to much to drink last night. But when she looked at the picture again, she realized why only Shawn and Marie looked like they were having a good time. Shawn and Marie were looking at each other, Topanga was looking into the camera, and Arthur was looking at Minkus and Cory.

Minkus and Cory were staring at her.

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"I'm sure Minkus is in trouble, but you know what it's like with his parents," Shawn said chomping into his burger. He put on a completely overdone snotty ivy league accent, "Well Stewart, as your father I am deeply disappointed in you. In my day we did not commit such shenanigans," he took a gulp of pop and continued in a high pitched voice "Now go trim the carpet and wash the grass. And try to dust the birds in the bird bath. They're looking rather shoddy."

Cory snorted into his water, "That sounds like his mom all right."

"God, that woman is a such a bitch. I mean, I don't mind earning my keep, but how much yard work is there to do? And you could tell they didn't trust me. I caught her counting the spoons after we'd eaten lunch one day," He shook his head disgustedly, "And when I'd come in from, I don't know, polishing the trees, she'd sit me down at the table and read me scripture. She's freaking weird. I feel so sorry for Stewart. I'd take and absentee father over those monsters of his any day and count myself a lucky man."

"I hope he doesn't get into too much trouble," Cory sighed, "I mean, he moves at the end of the week and his parents might actually ground him from end of summer fun."

"If it comes to that we'll just sneak him out. There isn't a second story window in this town Shawn Hunter can't sneak out of," he grinned proudly.

"You're a whore," Cory shook his head.

"Yes, virgin, I am."

"Screw you Shawn."

"People have."

"I don't want to play anymore."

"Fine."

"Fine!"

Cory swirled a fry around his ketchup wondering exactly how to phrase what he wanted to ask and wondering when to push it into the conversation. This was probably not a good point for it. Oh well.

"Is anything going on between you and Topanga?" Cory asked, sounding much more demanding than he meant to.

Shawn looked shocked, and then leaned forward in a way that Cory thought boded ill.

"Are you asking me if I'm sleeping with Topanga?" Shawn asked incredulously.

"No!" Cory answered loudly. "No! I just thought you two might be.. sort of dating or something. You know, with how you act around each other, and kissing last night. Oh god. You are sleeping with her aren't you?"

"Jesus, Cor. That's like asking if I'm sleeping with you!" Shawn announced. A kid walking by gave them a very strange look.

"He's making an analogy," Cory told the kid, laughing in embarrassment.

"I did kiss him last night though," Shawn told the kid suggestively.

"Just on the cheek!" Cory said still trying to laugh.

"Not the cheek you're thinking of though," Shawn said biting his thumb batting his eye lashes mockingly at Cory. The kid turned and ran for the back room and Shawn laughed.

"You realize that's only funny to you right? You're a bastard," Cory fumed.

"You're so cute when you're insecure," Shawn said in his fake coy voice.

"I hate you."

"No you don't," Shawn said in his normal voice, "Anyway. Where were we? Oh right. You of all people should know that Topanga and I are, and always have been, just friends."

"But you kissed her Shawn!"

"So what? We're just close. She's like my sister!"

"You sure gave your sister plenty of tongue last night," Cory said just as the same kid ran back to get his drink. Against all common sense the kid stopped to give them a look again.

"What?" Shawn demanded of him before he ran off in terror yet again, "Okay," he said to Cory, "So maybe she's not _exactly_ like my sister. But the point is, just kissing someone doesn't mean you're desperately in love with them. Topanga and I would make a terrible couple. We would drive each other nuts."

"So you and Topanga are just friends?"

"Yes!" Shawn exclaimed.

"Okay."

"Okay."

They both returned to their burgers.

"But if I was sleeping with Topanga you'd be jealous out of your mind." Shawn told Cory.

"What?" Cory demanded, "Why would you say that?"

"Oh come on Cor. You think I didn't notice this morning when Topanga walked out of the tent?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Cory said feeling himself blush crimson.

"Riiiiiiggggghhhhtttt," Shawn laughed, "Topanga had absolutely nothing to do with your sudden and extreme inability to stand."

"I hate you."

"No you don't." Shawn replied, "And you definitely don't hate her. You love her."

"No I don't," said firmly.

"Yes you do."

"No I don't"

"You always have!"

"Oh now you're just talking crazy!" Cory spat.

"Come on Cor," Shawn sighed, " The way you look at her, the way you talk about her, the way you talk to her. Not to mention that whenever the four of us do anything you're all "well is Topanga coming?" "Does Topanga have a ride?" "Did you call Topanga?". You love her."

"I care about her, she's one of my best friends. You should care about your friends. I care about you and Minkus. Do you think I'm secretly in love with you guys too?"

"If you aren't secretly in love with Topanga, which by the way is a weird way for someone who's not secretly in love with her to phrase that question, then why did you ask if there's anything between me and Topanga?"

"I asked because this morning Minkus told me he's really into Topanga, and I think he's hoping that if they go to school together something might happen. But he thinks that he can't compete with you and if you and Topanga are together then he doesn't have a chance. So nuts to you Mr. Smartypants."

"Minkus has a crush on Topanga?" Shawn asked in amazement, then immediately dropped back to a serious tone, "What else is new?"

"What?"

"Cor, Minkus has had a crush on Topanga since we were eleven. He's never done anything about it."

"Does Topanga know that Minkus likes her?"

Shawn shifted in his seat, "I don't know. I think Topanga is pretty intuitive and well-informed when it comes to basically anyone but the 3 of us. But she sees us as "her boys" you know? She expects everything we do to just be a friendly gesture so even if it is more than that, she might not necessarily see it."

"What do you mean?"

Shawn sighed. He finally sounded embarrassed, "Okay, when I moved back in with my Dad after living in Topanga's house I missed being around her all the time. I mean missed it like hell. So one night I was laying in bed, just thinking about her. I couldn't stop thinking about her. So I got on my bike, and I rode to her street, and I picked a bunch of lilies from her neighbor's yard and I climbed up her drain pipe and knocked on her window."

Cory stared at him.

"And she laughed and pulled me in, and put the flowers in a glass. And she hugged me, really tight, the way she always hugs us, and then let me go. And then I kissed her on the forehead, and then on her cheek. And she just stood there. And I told her how much I missed her and she ruffled my hair, the way she does to all of us, and said in just a heartbreakingly casual tone "Shawn, you're so sweet. I miss having you here too." And I'm leaning in, and at this point I just have to kiss her. But then she says "It's like having a twin brother or something.". "

"Holy crap. That's a mood kill," Cory coughed, "What did you do?"

"I leaned back out and looked at her face, and it was just the way it always is, she wasn't purposefully blowing me off, she didn't look scared or nervous or anything. She was totally sincere. So I smiled and said "yeah, it is like that" and I gave her my fakest laugh and was like "See you at school sis!" and climbed back down the drain pipe, rode back home, dug out one of Dad's Playboys from under the recliner and thought about page 47 until my shoulder was sore," Shawn sighed taking a gulp of his soda. "It's hard not to love Topanga."

"So all three of us are in love with her?" Cory asked, bewildered.

"I'm not in love with her. I'll admit that I was. But I'm honestly not anymore." He picked his burger back up and pointed at Cory, "But you just admitted that you still are."

_Authoress Note: If you are wondering- Yes. I did lean heavily on Bree Vandekamp from Desperate Housewives in creating Minkus's mother, but whereas Bree is actually a warm and loving woman who is just overly anal retentive, Mrs. Minkus is Satan in pearls. Thanks for reading, please review. _


	6. My Best Friend's Girl

_Authoress Note: Sorry for the super long delay. I've been really busy with the job I hate more than anything, and with the doing fun things that help me forget just how much I hate my job. Plus this chapter went through like 8 versions before I ended up with something that made any sense at all. Thank you for your patience. _

"Well should we call him?" Topanga asked Shawn and Cory, "It's 6:45 we have rapidly closing window of opportunity here."

"I don't think it's a good idea. You heard him in the car this morning Topanga," Shawn said reasonably, "His parents don't like us, if he's in trouble, and we know he is, one of us calling will make it worse."

"Hey kids," Chloe appeared over them, "Why so down?" she shook Shawn's shoulder, "Have you eaten yet?"

"Not yet. We're still wondering if we should call Minkus," Shawn answered.

"Hell, call everyone. This has become a party! Have him bring his family," Chloe said raising her glass to all of them and wandering over to where Jack was, with considerable apprehension, watching Eric suck down his fourth margarita.

Not unusually for the Lawrence home, dinner had become more interesting than had been originally planned. Topanga had invited Shawn to dinner and Shawn had called Cory to tell him this would be a great chance to see what could happen with Topanga. Jack and Eric had been invited when Shawn called Topanga back to say Cory was coming, and then Chloe had thought they might as well invite all the Matthew's and had called Amy and Alan. From there most of the neighbors had been invited and now dinner with the Lawrence's had become the social event of the season.

"Well, I had better go eat before your mom brings me a giant plate of food and a strawberry daiquiri," Shawn sat getting up from the patio furniture table. "Calling Minkus? Yes or no?"

"You're right we'd better not risk it tonight," Topanga said sighing and taking a sip of her own daiquiri.

"Alright then, there's a tofu steak over there just a-calling my name, I'll be back." Shawn said.

"Yeah I need another... hunk of bean putty," Cory said standing up to follow Shawn. Shawn nudged him surreptitiously.

"What was that?" Cory asked out loud. Shawn rolled his eyes.

"Should we grab you anything?" he asked Topanga.

"If there's still taboulee?"

"Sure thing."

"What the hell are you doing man?" Shawn hissed as soon as they were out of earshot.

"Getting another pretend steak, I'm hungry."

"Let me try this again," Shawn groaned, "If Minkus isn't coming tonight at all, and Topanga is sitting alone at a party, what the hell are you doing following me to the buffet table?"

"Shit," Cory turned around and Shawn grabbed his arm.

"You can't go now man, come to the table with me and grab her some taboulee."

"I don't even know what taboulee is!" Cory exclaimed.

Shawn shot him a look as they got to the buffet table, grabbed a plate, scooped a spoonful of middle eastern wheat salad onto it and handed it to Cory with a sigh.

"This is Topanga man, you need to chill out. You already screwed up by insulting the food and not offering to get her something."

"Shawn, maybe this isn't a good idea, I mean, Minkus told me this morning that he likes Topanga. It's hardly good barbeque manners to stab one friend in the back by making a move on the other," Cory dithered.

"Dammit Cor," Shawn groaned, "You and Minkus have had 7 years to make a move on Topanga. Minkus has 4 more years, and you have 3 more days. Like Topanga said, it's a rapidly closing window of opportunity."

"Yeah, exactly. I have three days. Maybe it's best if I don't try anything. I mean, I don't want to do this big spazzy thing right before she leaves for more than 2 months."

"Better to have loved and lost man, better to have loved and lost."

"Hey guys!" Eric cried, collapsing onto Cory and Shawn's shoulders and holding himself up between them, "Why so ser'us?"

"You having a good time, Eric?" Shawn asked in a loud, slow, talking-to-drunks voice.

"You know what I really am. I really really am." He giggled as Cory and Shawn tried not to laugh at him. Jack appeared at Shawn's side.

"Hey, buddy?" Jack said to Eric, "Mr. Lawrence is making a pot of coffee, why don't you come inside with me and get a cup?"

"Jack," Eric said grabbing Jack's face drunkenly, "Jack, it's too hot for coffee," he gave a Shawn and Cory a what-is-he-crazy sort of look, "You should have a margarita!"

"How about we have an ice coffee?" Jack tried.

"Oooookay then," Eric laughed lurching toward Jack, who caught him, rolled his eyes at Cory and Shawn and half carried him to the house.

"Well, that gives me my excuse to disappear," Shawn said, "You take Topanga her taboulee, and I shall just have to leave you two alone while I go inside and sober up my roommate."

"What do I say to her?" Cory demanded in a panicky voice.

"Cor, calm down. It's Topanga. You guys have always been able to talk. Deep breath man."

And with that Shawn headed into the house after Jack and Eric and Cory continued to stand irresolute at the buffet table.

Topanga watched Jack haul Eric into the house and Shawn follow them, leaving Cory, looking confused, standing with plate in hand. She wondered vaguely what he and Shawn had gone to the table to talk about . Sometimes they were worse than girls disappearing to chat in the restroom. She'd miss that. Cory seemed to have come sort of decision now. He was walking toward her. But suddenly he wasn't in his worn bowling shirt and jeans, he was in a tux, with a corsage, grinning at her. Topanga shook her head. Cory was normal again. He sat down and handed her a plate.

"Here ya go," he said in a wierd tone.

"Thanks," She replied reaching out for it. She stared at her arm. Her arms should have been bare, but she was inexplicably wearing Cory's old jean jacket. The one he'd given to Lauren when he'd broken up with her because of the distance. Topanga grabbed the plate and her arms were bare again. She set the plate down carefully on the table and pushed her daiquiri away firmly.

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Dinner at the Minkus's was as different from dinner at the Lawrence's as it was possible to be. Mrs. Minkus had served their steamed asparagus and duck a la orange from good china and then carefully perched herself at one end of the table. The atmosphere was silent and cold.

"Well, Stewart," his father began seriously from the other end, "I think you owe us an explanation. Where were you last night?"

"Edgar Waltman called yesterday evening. He's going to be a senior and he's taking over the chess club at John Adams this year. He needed some help organizing the meeting schedule so I went over to his house to give him a hand. It got late and I know how you don't like me being out at night so I just stayed there." Minkus had worked out the whole story, complete with what he and Edgar had for dinner and exactly how the chess club was going to function next year, while he had done his chore.

His mother pursed her lips, "I talked to Mrs. Waltman this morning at the grocery store. You are lying."

Shit. There went that, Minkus thought. Hopefully Mrs. Waltman hadn't mentioned chess club. Minkus had actually dropped out in the 9th grade and hadn't talked to Edgar Waltman since.

"Stewart are you on drugs?" His father demanded sternly.

"No, Father." he said apathetically. He was asked this question at least once week, usually in response to him doing something catastrophic like forgetting to fold his clothes or leaving a book on the coffee table. He barely reacted to it anymore.

"Well," his mother huffed, just like she did every time he answered this question, "You can't blame us for wondering the way you've been acting. Especially with those hooligans you associate with. Why can't you play with some of the nice boys on our street?"

Minkus's blood stirred just a little at this. He was 18. He wasn't arranging "play-dates". And more importantly there were three "nice boys" his age on this street and they were all worse than scum. Michael Kinley made and sold meth, Jonathan Albrectson was a white supremacist with Nazi flags in his room, and Edgar Waltman's mother would've been appalled to find out it was well known that her darling little chess club president had gone to one of his brother's fraternity keggers, slipped a mickey in a girl's drink and raped her.

He began to carefully slice his duck. He had less than a week before he moved, he reminded himself. He shouldn't push buttons. He should just play along and try to stay out of trouble. Just because he was 18 and leaving for college in a matter of days didn't mean his mother wouldn't ground him. He couldn't lose these last days with his friends. But nevertheless he heard himself snarling "My friends aren't hooligans, Mother."

"Don't take that tone with your mother, Stewart," his father snapped, "I remember that Shawn character. He'll end up being someone's cell mate before he's twenty-five."

Minkus clenched his teeth. He wasn't going to rise to this. If he played his cards right he might still get out of trouble. Blowing up at his father about something he'd said about Shawn himself (although in a loving, teasing way not his fathers arrogant, judgmental tone) wasn't going to help him.

"And the Lawrence girl!" His mother refused to use her first name, "Well, we'll see how long she lasts before the drugs get to her and then she'll probably spend the rest of her life in a trailer somewhere smoking cannabis with her illegitimate children."

Minkus dug his nails into his palm and began to mentally repeat "moving this weekend, moving this weekend, moving this weekend".

"And I don't like you being around that Cory Matthews either. With his disgusting condition and all"

Minkus tried to clench his jaw and try to ignore her again, but that was it, she had crossed a serious line and Minkus snapped.

"Shut up!" He growled.

His father had been raising a bite of asparagus to his mouth. His fork hung frozen in front of his still open mouth.

"What did you just say young man?" His mother demanded.

"Shut the hell up!" Minkus yelled louder jumping to his feet.

"Stewart Augustus Minkus!" His mother shrilled.

"Would this be the same "disgusting condition" you drove your other son out of the house for?" Minkus raged, "The "disgusting condition" that made you treat him like he was less than human?" Minkus banged his fist on the table so hard the silverware clattered and his own fork fell off the table.

"You sit yourself down right now young man," His father starting, also standing up.

"Fuck You! " Minkus could here himself screaming now, still not quite believing that he was actually talking this way to his parents. His legs were shaking and his heart was pumping so hard he was sure it would burst right out of his chest soon enough. Somewhere in his raging mind he hoped that when it did it would stain his mother's precious carpet, "Fuck you!" his mother gave a horrified squeak as he repeated it, "You know what? You have no children anymore! I'm disowning you! I'm moving to Connecticut in three days and you will never see me again! I'm going to spend next summer with Nigel and _his boyfriend_ " his father shuddered "and you will never fucking see me again!" he spun around to leave the dining room and threw his chair to the ground as he passed it. It landed with a satisfying crack.

"Stewart!" His mother called in shock. Minkus spun back around.

"And another thing," He growled, "Even if everything you said about Cory and Topanga and Shawn was true, they'd still be my best friends, and the three of them have always been a better family than you two ever were," and with that he stormed out of the dining room.

"Stewart!" His father called but Minkus didn't even turn his head as he shrieked "Goodbye!" and kept walking.

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Eric hadn't made it to the coffee. Shawn and Jack had just managed to get him to the bathroom before he got violently ill and now all three boys were in the bathroom, Eric bent over the toilet, Jack holding up the seat and patting him on the back comfortingly and Shawn next to the small window spying on Cory and Topanga.

The window was open just far enough so that when Eric wasn't vomiting Shawn could hear Cory and Topanga talking and laughing.

"Looks like it's working," Shawn said in a sing-song voice.

"What's working?" Jack asked.

"Ah, Little Cory is talking to Topanga," Shawn said to him.

"So?" Jack sighed, "Cory is always talking to Topanga."

"Ahh, yes, but he's going to make his move tonight," Shawn said.

"Wait, Cory likes Topanga? I thought you liked Topanga."

"No I used to like Topanga, and now we're just good friends, Cory likes Topanga."

"I thought Cory liked you." Eric said lifting his head and managing a couple of deep breaths before throwing up again.

"Shut up Eric." Shawn sighed trying to find an angle that let him see Cory and Topanga better.

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The barbeque was beginning to thin out. Most of the neighbors had gone home and Jedidiah was starting to clean up around the yard.

Topanga laughed, "I don't believe you," she told Cory lightly.

"I swear it's the truth. That little cafe downtown is totally a mob front. Shawn and I worked for them one Christmas."

"You worked for the mob?" Topanga said still laughing.

"What? I'm dangerous missy. I could be packing right now."

Topanga rolled her eyes, "Cory, what have I told you about calling me missy?"

"Sorry," Cory grinned apologetically.

The two of them lapsed into a small silence, more noticeable now that the party had quieted down so much. Cory swallowed. Topanga's hand was resting on the table, not far from his own. All he had to do was reach out, move his hand a couple of inches, and grab Topanga's hand. Then she'd know right? That was like, Cory's signature move it was romantic, but sweet and innocent at the same time. He lifted his fingers off the table, praying his hands weren't sweaty, but sure they were, it was hot and he was nervous... and then-

"Wait, since when is Cory into Topanga?" Jack's voice floated down to them.

"Since when is Cory not completely in love with Topanga?" Shawn's voice answered.

Cory looked up and saw the open bathroom window, then looked at Topanga. She'd heard it too. She was staring at him, with a wierd expression on her face, her lips were parted, but her mouth wasn't exactly hanging open, the whites of her eyes were visible, but she wasn't wide eyed. She looked surprised but not shocked.

"Topanga-" Cory started, unable to read her expression and unsure what to do.

"Cory-" She cut him off, still looking at him with the same strange expression.

"Topanga!" Someone cried from behind Cory. Topanga's eyes slid from Cory to the speaker.

"Stewart!" She said a little breathlessly, "What are you doing here? We thought you were grounded?" She stood up and started toward him, Cory turned around. Minkus was white faced and shaking,his faceglistenedwith sweat.

"Stewart? What's the matter?" Topanga asked, her voice full of concern.

"I swore at my parents," Minkus said as though in disbelief, "I swore at them and told them that they weren't my family and they'd never see me again!"

Topanga stared at him in complete shock before grabbing him in a hug, unsure of any other way to react to that sort of news. Minkus slowly wrapped an arm around her back.

"I disowned my parents," He said in the same awestruck tone as Topanga ushered him over to the table where Cory was still sitting.

"Is there anything we can get you?" Topanga asked.

"Water?" Minkus said unsurely.

"I'll go grab some," Cory said, glad for an excuse to get away from Topanga.

Shawn was walking out of the kitchen as Cory walked into it.

"Cory! What happened?"

"What happened?" Cory spat, grabbing Shawn by the elbow and pulling into the kitchen.

"You happened Shawn! I was talking to Topanga it was going great, I was about to grab her hand and what do we hear but a little birdy announcing that I'm in love with her." Cory growled grabbing a glass from Topanga's cupboard and filling it with water.

Shawn covered his mouth with his hand, "Oh no, you could hear us?"

"Yeah Shawn. I heard you, Topanga heard you and then Minkus showed up shaking because he just threw himself out of his house. So I'm in here getting him water while she hugs him, right after hearing your big news." Cory started back out to the yard with Shawn behind him.

"I'm so sorry man, I'm so sorry," Shawn whispered as they walked out the kitchen door.

Minkus, Topanga, Jedidiah, Chloe and Amy and Alan Matthews were all gathered around the table listening to Minkus who had evidently just finished telling his story to all of them.

"You poor thing," Chloe said, pulling Minkus into a motherly hug, "You know you're more than welcome to stay here. We'll set up Nebula's room for you."

"Yeah, Stewart. When you get settled down you can make us a list and Chloe and I will go over to your house and pick up all your stuff," Jedidiah chimed in.

"And if you need a bigger vehicle to carry everything up to Yale you can borrow the mini-van," Alan added in.

"Thanks." Minkus said in a faraway voice, "Seriously, thank you all so much, but umm.." He passed a hand across his forehead and exhaled deeply, "I think right now I just want to go lie down and be alone for a while."

"Of course sweetheart," Chloe said, "Topanga why don't you take him up to Nebula's room?"

"Yeah," Topanga said wrapping an arm around the still shocked boy and standing up with him.

"Here you go, man" Cory said to Minkus, handing him his water as he walked past.

"Thanks buddy," Minkus said to him.

"Feel better man," Shawn said. Minkus nodded shakily and as they passed Topanga looked back at Cory and gave him a look that about half and hour later Shawn and Cory were talking about in Cory's room, where Cory insisted it was a pity look and Shawn tried to convince him it was apologetic.


	7. Pairing Off

Having a tight knit group of friends is a wonderful thing. Nearly everyone (outside of the exceptionally bitter and the very very lonely) will tell you this. However, Topanga sighed as she wheeled her bike out of the garage and set off down her street, there were some difficulties that came with it. Having three people that you feel comfortable telling everything to is peachy, but it makes you used to being able to bounce ideas off of people and think out loud about very personal things. It makes it very hard to be alone.

Her bike wheels clicked steadily, the only noise on the quite suburban street while her mind continued to seethe the way it had been seething all evening. Cory- her best friend Cory, Cory that she talked to about her classes, PMS, boyfriends, and weird obsession with John Cleese. Cory who was one of the three people in the whole entire world that she'd told about her grasshopper phobia- THAT Cory- liked her.. She had to talk to someone about this.

Normally, she thought as she turned out of her neighborhood, her first choice would be Cory. If it was ever a question of whether or not a guy would make a good boyfriend, you asked Cory. He was methodical, observant, and ready to see things from your point of view. If you were wondering if a guy would make a good fling, you asked Shawn, who as King of Flings, knew his competition well. But she didn't need an opinion on whether or not Cory was boyfriend materiel. Topanga had seen the way Cory treated girls, and knew exactly how he treated her. You couldn't ask for a more caring, gentlemanly, honest man. The girls that dated him adored him, other than the few who had dumped him because he was too "safe". These girls usually tried to move on to Shawn, who was, as Topanga had also seen, markedly more adventurous. But being Cory's best friend, Shawn always refused them.

But this wasn't a question of whether or not Cory would be a good boyfriend. This was much more complicated and uncomfortable. When things were complicated and uncomfortable you asked Stewart, but Topanga hadn't had the heart to bring it up to him. It had taken Stewart quite a while to come back to himself and she had sat with him, dutifully listening while he talked out what had happened. Once he had calmed down he'd asked Jedidiah if it was okay for him to call his brother. After a nearly 3 hour conversation, Stewart had told his brother good night and, emotionally exhausted, fallen asleep on Nebula's bed, still wearing his clothes and glasses.

So, without an outlet, Topanga had sat outside in the dark with a cup of cooling tea and stewed on the events of the day until she just couldn't take it anymore. Which is why she had set out for Chubbies. That was the most likely place to find Shawn and Cory after what had happened and, after all, she and Cory would have to discuss this eventually.

She lodged her bike in the bike rack and locked it securely by the light of glowing neon sign, (even after everything a part of her wondered how long it would be before she was back here), took a deep, steadying breath and walked down the stairs.

There weren't usually that many people in Chubbies at this time of night. It was a little to late for the high school set, and a still a little too early for the college kids. She scanned the booths for familiar faces, but didn't see Cory or Shawn. She bit her lip, and headed to the backroom. Maybe they were playing pool.

"Topanga!" she was hailed by a voice from the backroom the instant she stepped off the stairs. She looked over in surprise, she hadn't expected that sort of reaction from anyone she might see here this time of night, least of all Shawn or Cory. But it wasn't either of them. A weedy young man, just a little older than her, with large eyes and short spiked brown hair, stood in the entry to the backroom. He held a cue lazily in one hand and waved enthusiastically with the other. Behind him a considerably taller and larger young man was also waving with equal energy.

"Joey! Frankie!" Topanga replied her surprise making her voice almost a squeal, "I haven't seen you guys since you graduated! How have you been?"

"Oh you know, pretty good, a little trouble here and there, but nothing major enough to get me kicked out or nothing," Joey said with a laugh, "Enough to keep things interestin'," he spoke a little slower than Topanga remembered him speaking, and his voice was just slightly lower pitched.

"Joey does not like to admit that he has cleaned up his act quite a lot since starting college at Temple. Tell her your GPA Joey. Go ahead," Frankie said, puffing up proudly behind him.

"Nah, Topanga don't care about that," Joey almost blushed.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Topanga said, but figuring he probably did want to, she added, "But I have to say I'm curious."

"See Joey?"

"All right, All right. 3.5." Joey said, "Got me another scholarship and everything."

"Joey that's fantastic!" Topanga said with a broad smile, "How about you Frankie? Where did you go again?"

"Macalester, in Minnesota."

"Wow. Are you back for the summer?"

"I actually have an apartment in St. Paul, but my father had a anniversary match with Jake the Snake and I, a dutiful son, came back to Philadelphia to cheer him on. It's actually by chance that I ran into Joey tonight."

"Hey, speaking of running into people," Topanga started, "Have you guys seen Cory Matthews or Shawn Hunter here tonight at all?"

"Nah, but we've only been here for like an hour, why? They stand you up?" Joey asked.

"No, I was just hoping to find them here, that's all," She cast another glance around the restaurant, "Well, I should probably let you guys get back to your game huh?"

"There's no rush Topanga. We were about to have milkshakes, why don't you join us and catch up?" Frankie said cordially.

"Unless you really gotta find Matthews and Hunter or something." Joey added.

Topanga realized that if Cory and Shawn weren't here, they were either at Cory's house or Shawn's apartment both of which were too far away for her to bike to. She also conceded that she was rather relieved not to have found Cory and Shawn here after all.

"No, it can wait until tomorrow," Topanga said with a fake cheerfulness as she Frankie and Joey piled into her, Cory, Shawn, and Stewart's regular booth.

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Minkus was tingling. All over. Like he was covered from head to foot in ants. This was the moment he had been waiting for for so long. He had woken up feeling completely rejuvenated and clear headed. And (finally) bold. He was ready to make his move.

He was standing outside Topanga's bedroom door, his fingers, cold with anticipation, anxiety, and he had to admit it, fear, were pressed against the doorknob. He listened for any noise, he didn't want to ruin his romantic moment by doing something stupid and clumsy like walking in on her changing, or while she was in the bathroom. But there were no sounds. No lights from under doors in the hall way. He squeezed his eyes shut tight, sent up a silent prayer, and walked into Topanga's room.

It was empty. The curtains were open, ruffling slightly in the breeze. The moonlight poured in through her windows illuminating the room so well that Minkus didn't even need to turn on the light. Her bed was still made.

Ooookaaaaayyyy... Minkus thought to himself. This is weird. It's the middle of the night. Where is she?

Knowing Topanga, Minkus went back to Nebula's room to look in the back yard, it was a beautiful night and it was possible that she had fallen asleep in the hammock. But there was no one in the back yard. He went back to Topanga's room.

This is even better, he thought as he grabbed a book off Topanga's shelf and settled into the chair by her bed. He would be waiting for her when she came back. He hoped his courage hadn't failed him by then.

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"I thought you said there wasn't a second story window in this town you couldn't get into!" Cory hissed at Shawn in the street in front of Topanga's house.

Their long circular conversation had gone on for hours. They would start with "what do you suppose Topanga thinks?" then went to "I knew I shouldn't have tried anything" which was followed by "Minkus is going to hate me" and would finish with "She moves the day after tomorrow what am I going to do?". There were small differences in tone and maybe a fresh insight in every repetition, but for the most part it was like an album on repeat.

Finally, unable to take it anymore, Shawn had suggested that they just go and talk to Topanga and to his surprise Cory had agreed at once. And now here they were outside, with Cory bound and determined to climb in her window and tell her how he felt.

"No, Cory, what I said was there wasn't a second story window in this town I couldn't _sneak out of_. Sneaking in is much more difficult," Shawn growled at him as they both stared in frustration at the Lawrence's house.

"You said you'd climbed up her drain pipe and into her window before!" Cory seethed.

"Yes but that was years ago. I was lighter. And they've redone the gutters. The drain pipe is in back now. If you want to you can climb up the back of the house, scrabble over the roof and then try to swing into her window from the eaves."

"What's my other option?"

"To shut the hell up and let me think!"

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"So you've always sort of liked Cory, and now it turns out that Cory likes you back?" Joey clarified, waving a french-fry in one hand.

"Yeah, that's what Shawn said," Topanga sighed.

Topanga was now genuinely glad she had run into Frankie and Joey. Aside from being very good company, they had some insight into how college life changed high school relationships.

"Even though I do not know Cory and Shawn that well, I know that if Cory would tell anyone about his feelings for you it would be Shawn," Frankie said, "So if you over heard Shawn saying this I would bank on it being true."

"No, I know it's true," Topanga sighed, "Now that I think about it, I can't believe I didn't realize it, but now the question is what do I do about it?" And there was no denying that something about Frankie invited confidences. His gentle, sensitive nature and open, credulous face made Topanga think he was probably one of the few people who would not sneer at stories of visions like the ones she kept having about Cory.

"I mean, I'm leaving for school," she checked her watch," technically tomorrow. He's one of my best friends, I can't leave this big awkward thing unresolved, and I don't want to try to start a relationship and risk it being wrecked by the distance right away, and I don't want to miss out on college because I'm dating someone from back home. And..." she sighed, "I've been having these weird... flashes too."

"What do you mean?" Frankie inquired.

Topanga described the moments she had been having, like little blips in reality. Like her mind was wavering between two places. She told Frankie and Joey that it was clear in these lapses that she and Cory were more than friends, but that she wasn't sure what they meant. Was it just her projecting her own desires, or was it something a little more... ethereal? Was there some spirit out there trying to push her into Cory's arms? And if there was who was to say it was friendly? To her relief neither Frankie or Joey laughed, or gave her the indulgent smirk she sometimes got from people. On the contrary both nodded intently.

"Well, I have to tell you," Frankie said," I think that if these visions were born of an evil source, or were supposed to be a kind of temptation, they would probably be..." he gestured vaguely.

"More carnal in nature," Joey supplied.

"Exactly."

Topanga considered this, "Okay. Well that rules out one possibility."

"And probably the flip side of that possibility while we're at it," Frankie said thoughtfully.

So neither angels nor demons, Topanga thought. "So then it is just coming from me." She said.

"Well," Joey said, slowly dunking a french-fry in his ketchup, "You could be feeling the influence from a parallel universe where a parallel Topanga and Cory dated. For some reason there could be a weak spot in our reality that is allowing that Topanga's memories to surface in your mind."

Topanga stared at him.

"I took Quantum Physics. I got an A," Joey said by way of explanation. Topanga nodded. As weird as it sounded- now that she had heard it explained it fit. The feeling was more like sharing someone's memory than anything else. She ran through all the instances in her mind. Yes. it was like someone was with her in her mind at those times, but she hadn't felt the intrusion because it was herself intruding.

It was Frankie and Joey's turn to stare. "Hey, Topanga?" Joey asked, waving a hand in front of her face.

"Sorry, it's just... I think you're right," Topanga said, "Umm, I have to go."

"Topanga, it's the middle of the night, I'll give you a ride," Frankie said, "I have my father's truck. You can throw your bike in the back."

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Minkus felt his heart jump from standing still to hammering in the few seconds it took for the sound of scratching at the window to travel from his ears to his brain.

"Topanga?" a voice called tremulously from the window sill.

"Cory?" Minkus answered in disbelief walking to the window sill and peering over it into Cory Matthew's upturned face.

"Minkus?" Cory asked in wonder, his heart sinking, what was Minkus doing in Topanga's room this time of night? Was he too late?

"What are you doing here?" They both asked at once and then both responded rather articulately with an uncomfortable "uhhhhhh..."

"Help me in," Cory said. He was in a rather precarious position. With plenty of hissed encouragement from Shawn the two boys had climbed the tree next to Topanga's garage, dropped clumsily onto it (Cory sustaining a large scrap on his forearm in the process), and sidled over to the roof of the front porch. Shawn had given Cory a boost that had gotten him most of the way onto the porch roof, and then pushed him the rest of the way up. From there Cory had been able to slide very carefully along the steep incline and come to a space right underneath Topanga's window.

Minkus hauled Cory bodily in through the window and took in his appearance. Usually so clean and crisp, Cory's face was smudged with dirt, his forehead glistened with sweat, and blood shone on his arm.

"So, what _are_ you doing here?" Minkus asked, feeling he deserved an answer more than Cory. After all, he, Minkus, was the one who was staying down the hall, not the one who had climbed up the house and had a twig stuck in his hair.

Cory had never lied well, "I needed to talk to Topanga," he said. Minkus looked at him skeptically and didn't reply.

"I wanted to talk to her about something that happened earlier," Cory expanded.

"What happened earlier?" Minkus asked sharply.

Cory looked at the other boy, pale and ghostly in the moonlight, his arms crossed defensively. Cory looked at the floor and scratched the back of his neck the way he did we he needed more time to think.

"Look, Minkus, I came here to talk to Topanga because she found out that I... have feelings for her. And Shawn sort of helped me realize that I always have, so today at the barbeque, I was going to try and tell her, but she overheard Shawn telling Eric and Jack, and then you showed up," Cory rubbed his hands together uncomfortably, "And our conversation got... cut short. And I needed to know what she felt."

"Cory, I told you this morning that I've always liked Topanga. And you just swoop in and try to get her. I thought we were friends!" Minkus said in a voice of cracking forced calm.

"She's not something you swoop in and take," Cory said, a heat starting in his stomach, "And I know exactly what you said this morning, and I don't want to fight with you," he sighed in frustration at the whole twisted mess, "Minkus, do you think that I would crawl up the side of her house in the middle of the night if I didn't _need_ to see what might happen? If I didn't _need _to know how _she_ felt?"

"Why do you think I'm here?" Minkus demanded, sitting himself down on the edge of Topanga's bed as if to emphasize his position. _He_ was staying in her house, _he_ was going to school with her, in a few short days _he_ would be the one that was around her all the time, "Why are you doing this now?"

"Minkus, you're going to think I'm crazy, and I'm okay with that, but I don't just have a crush on her. Thinking about her leaving is killing me. Not knowing what the look on her face when she heard Shawn meant is killing me. I think I'm honest to god in love with her,"

"Sure Cory, whatever. Is that what Shawn told you?" Minkus spat.

"I didn't expect you to understand, Minkus," Cory sighed, "But give me this chance. You and Topanga leave together tomorrow. You have another four years to tell her about your crush, I've got a little over a day now. Let me tell her what I need to tell her."

Minkus looked up at him petulantly. He had a point. And Minkus had seen how Topanga and Cory talked together, the way they looked at each other. If, somehow, Topanga and himself ended up together, did he want to always wonder if she wouldn't rather of had Cory, and had simply never had the chance? And besides, Cory was a good friend. The best.

"Fine," Minkus capitulated, "Fine. You tell her first. But not like this," he looked Cory up and down, "Not in this whole Romeo and Juliet, climbing up your balcony in the moonlight, romance novel thing. You crawl back out of the window and talk to her tomorrow."

"And leave you here in her room?" Cory demanded.

"I'll wait until we get to school. How's that?"

Cory looked unconvinced.

"Cory, you are one of my best friends, and I'm one of yours. You can trust me. I swear," Minkus held out his hand and Cory shook it. They dropped hands and were suddenly aware of how strange this whole thing was.

"Well, we'd better both go before she gets back huh?" Cory said.

"Yeah, we'd better," Minkus agreed. And both boys left the room, Minkus through the door and Cory through the window, both feeling their uneasy truce heavy upon them.

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Frankie, Joey and Topanga had piled into Frankie's truck and started toward Topanga's house, but then Topanga had changed her mind. They headed to Cory's, where, like she and Shawn had done so many times, Topanga climbed up the tree outside Cory's window. No one was there. Puzzled, she'd dropped back down to the porch, where Frankie and Joey were waiting.

"It's no good," Topanga told them, "They must be at Shawn's, and there's no way to sneak into the apartment. The front doors'll be locked this time of night."

Defeated, Topanga went back to the truck with the two older boys, who escorted her back to her house.

"Well, thanks for everything guys, have a good year at school," She said after Frankie and hauled her bike out of the truck.

"Good luck with Cory," Joey said.

"And remember Topanga "The course of true love never did run smooth"." Frankie told her.

"Shakespeare?" Topanga asked.

"Of course," Frankie said.

Topanga hugged them both goodbye, put her bike in the garage and went up to her room. It was so late that it was early and the sky had that strange, greenish pre-dawn light at the horizon. She sat by her window to look at it, and felt a sharp poke. She had sat on a twig. She gave it a strange look, wondering how it had got there, but then yawned broadly, decided that was the least of her worries, and went to sleep.


	8. If You Can't Be With The One You Love

A Butterfly Flaps It's Wings Chapter 8 If You Can't Be With The One You Love (now with page breaks!)

Alan, Chloe and Minkus stood in Topanga's room trying to figure out where to start. Topanga had packed a grand total of three boxes. One with dishes and unfolded clothes, another with movies and jewelry, and the last with sweaters and a couple of pretty little boxes. The rest of her stuff had yet to be packed.

"Well... there are boxes in the basement," Chloe said in a half irritated, half amused tone, "We'd better get packing."

It really would've made more sense, Minkus thought petulantly as he carted an armload of liquor boxes up from the basement, for Topanga to have stayed and helped pack her stuff, and for Cory and Shawn to have gone to his house and helped load his stuff into Chloe and Jedidiah's van. Or for Cory and Shawn to have come here and help pack Topanga's stuff. Basically any arrangement that didn't leave Cory and Topanga alone would be preferable to one that did.

Although, he admitted to himself as he began pulling shirts and dresses out of Topanga's closet and folding them into boxes, trying to ignore how everything she owned seemed to smell like her, like honeysuckle and incense, he was partially relieved that he himself wasn't with Topanga. He had promised Cory that he would wait until he and Topanga left for Yale to say anything to her, and it was beginning to occur to him how hard it was actually going to be for him to keep that promise. Cory was one of his best friends, but Minkus had been waiting 6 years for Topanga, nursing a quiet crush and waiting for his moment. And Minkus had promised Cory last night he would let Cory have an opportunity to pull that right out from under him. What had he been thinking?

That you know how he feels, Minkus thought, That you can't keep one of your best friends from getting an opportunity to be happy. And, Minkus thought guiltily, you don't think Cory will has the guts to say anything to her.

"Stewart, when you fill that box, you wanna go pack all the toiletries? Shampoo, body wash all of that?" Chloe said.

"Yeah. No problem" Minkus said as he pressed a couple more pairs of jeans into the basically full box. He put the lid on the box of clothes, grabbed an empty beer box from behind where Alan was boxing up books, and headed into Topanga's bathroom.

He packed her shampoo, conditioner and shower gel, and then began scooping all the little bottles and jars around the sink into the box. He looked up into his reflection in the mirror. He looked like hell. "It's going to be all right." He told himself and started packing up the odd rings and earrings from the drawers with a distinct air of determination.

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Mrs. Minkus brought Mr. Minkus a cup of tea in his chair in the living room and sat down across from him, setting her own cup and saucer down irritably on the recently polished coffee table. Neither mentioned the macaroni-and-cheese-orange Volkswagen van outside even though they were both glaring out at it through the picture window. Neither did they acknowledge the _thump thump thump_ coming from the stairs.

"Wow. You'd think there would be enough heavy books at Yale already without bringing his own supply," the breathy voice of Amy Matthew's floated down the stairs and to the living room.

"Well at least _he's_ got everything boxed up already," Jedidiah sighed, "You wouldn't know Tippy was moving to look at her room."

"'Scuse me, Amy, Jedidiah," Shawn said, squeezing around the parents to hop down the stairs ahead of them with another box. Mrs. Minkus gave him a withering look over her tea cup as he grinned at her and walked out the door to the van where Topanga was arranging the boxes so that the van would hold hers and Minkus's stuff for the first leg of their drive to Connecticut that night.

"Hey," He said climbing into the van and setting his box down next to a big rubber-maid tub Minkus had filled with warm clothes and odds and ends, "We've only got a few boxes left. Have you gotten a hold of Cory yet?"

"No. I've called his house and his cell phone twice."

"His cell phone? I told you he forgot his cell phone at my apartment. It's next to my toaster," Shawn said.

"I know. I was thinking he might have stopped by to pick it up or something, but Eric keeps answering it and saying "Why are you calling here? Don't you know how loud this ring is?" and hanging up. I think that 5th margarita last night hit him pretty hard," Topanga sighed.

"Look, you know he'll come by. He can't let either of you leave without saying goodbye."

"I know. I know," Topanga yawned and sunk down onto the green shag carpeted floor, "I'm just worried that he's... you know...freaking out over what happened yesterday. You know Cory doesn't handle shifts in the status quo that well."

Shawn echoed her yawn and sat down next to her. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Topanga, I'm sorry that's how you found out, but I really do think that it was best for it to be out in the open."

Topanga didn't answer.

"Isn't it?"

"Shawn..." Topanga paused, searching for words, "Cory... isn't you."

Shawn's heart stopped dead.

"What do you mean?"

"Shawn, if you were in love with someone, you would tell them. Even in less than ideal circumstances" she gestured around at the van to convey the current situation, "_You_ would _have_ say something, or always wonder what could have been."

Shawn suppressed a dry smile as he remembered a handful of lilies stolen by moonlight and a kiss on the cheek from years ago, but didn't disillusion her.

"Cory..." she went on, "might have been better off without the boat being rocked. This may not be the right time for him." Shawn took his arm off of her shoulders.

"You don't love him." Shawn said sadly.

"I didn't say that," Topanga responded instantly she exhaled sharply and said in a strained sort of voice, "I'm leaving today Shawn. Today."

"Didn't some famous dead guy say it's better to have loved and lost?" Shawn asked.

"Tennyson" Topanga answered him.

"Alfred Lord" Jedidiah said as he and Amy brought out the last three boxes, "Great poet."

"You kids ready to head back to the house?" Jedidiah asked setting a box in the van and pushing his hair off his sweaty forehead.

"Yeah. Let's go." Topanga said.

"No sign of Cory?" Amy asked.

"Not yet." Shawn answered.

"Well. I'm sure he'll show up," Amy said handing Shawn a box and patting his shoulder.

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After crawling out of Topanga's window that morning Cory had dropped down to the porch roof said "She isn't here" to Shawn and without the slightest hesitation walked across the porch roof, dropped to the garage roof, grabbed a tree branch and crawled down only a few branches before dropping to the ground, leaving Shawn to scurry behind him, instead of the other way around, for the first time in their entire friendship. They'd coaxed Francesca into taking them back to Shawn's apartment, collapsed into the living room furniture and gotten a few sentences into a discussion about Cory's next move before Shawn had fallen asleep in the arm chair.

Cory, however had been too restless to sleep. He'd laid on the couch, mind buzzing and heart burning, trying to sleep. But when Shawn started snoring, Cory had given up and left the apartment. He'd found a deli, had a donut and caught a bus. This had turned out to be the wrong bus. It was past noon before Cory got back to his neighborhood and nearly 1:00 when he finally walked up his driveway and was hailed instantly from across the fence.

"Mr. Matthews!" Mr. Feeny called. He was standing in his garden, hopefully watering what looked like a rather hopeless begonia, "Mr. Matthews, your mother just called to ask if I'd seen you. They've finished collecting Mr. Minkus's things and are looking for you at Miss Lawrence's to finish packing."

"Thanks. Mr. Feeny."

"Is everything all right?" Feeny asked, setting his watering can down under the browning leaves of the begonia.

"Yeah," Cory lied as he stifled a yawn.

Feeny gave him a very knowing look and asked "Cory, what do you think of this begonia?"

Cory looked at the drooping stems and brown leaves, "Um. It's just lovely."

Feeny sighed "Come on, work with me a little. I'm trying to do my wise mentor shtick."

"Fine. It looks like it's dying Feeny."

"Thank you," Feeny said and cleared his throat, "Now, until very recently, Cory, I kept this plant in the house and watered it every day with the rest of the house plants. But my sister sent me a few paper whites and a hosta and I didn't have room for it in the living room anymore. I thought that the begonia was big enough to make it out in the yard so I moved it out here. But, out of sight out of mind, I didn't water it as often as I used to, and I didn't notice that it was beginning to die until it was too late. Now, I can keep watering it, but-"

"Look, Mr. Feeny," Cory interrupted him, "I appreciate you trying to help and all, but that's not my problem. I'm not worried about… watering my friendship with Minkus and Topanga. It's gotten a little more complex than that."

"Oh. Okay," Feeny cleared his throat again,"This was a lot easier with Eric."

"Well, Eric isn't really a complex sort of guy," Cory said casting his eye around the garden, "Mr. Feeny my problem is that I've always had this… begonia... in ...the living room... with a hosta and a petunia"

Feeny rolled his eyes, "I'm listening."

"Okay. It has come to my attention just how much I love this... begonia, but it's moving out to the garden with the hosta, and the hosta.. . . loves the begonia too. Meanwhile the petunia is pushing me to . . . water. . . the begonia. . ." Cory slowed down as he thought of the disjoint between what that was supposed to mean and how it sounded, but plowed on in spite of Feeny's odd look, "And the petunia accidentally told the begonia that I want to. . . water the begonia. But I don't know if I can. Because the begonia and the hosta will be out in... the garden tomorrow and it…. rains. . . outside in the garden and the hosta could water the begonia just fine if they are out in ... the garden together."

Feeny sighed "Oh. I see. Well. That is complicated."

"It's why I don't keep houseplants," Cory agreed.

Feeny picked up a clippers from the ground by the fence and walked toward his house "Cory. If you've fallen in love with Topanga-"

"Begonia!" Cory corrected him.

"Mr. Matthews, leave the garden metaphors to me. Miss Lawrence leaves today, with Mr. Minkus, and if Mr. Hunter has already let it slip that you have feelings for Miss Lawrence there doesn't seem to be any reason not to tell her yourself. If she doesn't return them, then she leaves for Yale and you've committed no crime against Mr. Minkus, and broken hearts heal. If she does return your feelings... well, no matter the circumstances, if she does return them you are setting sail for complicated, wonderful and terrifying seas"

"So you think I should tell her?" Cory asked. There was a snap and Feeny turned around with a rose. He held it out to Cory.

"Yes. You should tell her. Watch for thorns."

"Ahah. Back to the metaphors I see." Cory took the rose, "Ouch!"

"That wasn't a metaphor. Even Eric would have understood that."

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Cory sat parked in front of the Lawrence's house, looking at the almost full van in the driveway and trying to work up the courage to walk into Topanga's house and tell her how he felt about her. He'd spent the entire drive to Topanga's trying out different wordings, but nothing sounded right. Everything was too melodramatic, not romantic enough, or just sounded too stupid or rehearsed. How did you tell a friend you'd fallen in love with them? How did you deal with it if they rejected you? How did you try to start something with someone you knew you were about to lose. He looked at the rose draped delicately over the passenger's seat.

"Topanga... I'm in love with you," he said quietly. He tried it with a different inflection "Topanga I...am in love with you." He sighed and looked back toward the house. Minkus, Topanga and Shawn were all walking out of the front door, each with a box in their arms. Somehow Topanga seemed to have gotten more beautiful since yesterday. Shawn spotted Cory's car and pointed him out to the other two. All three instantly put down their boxes and ran to his car.

Cory hurriedly swept the rose off the seat to the floor where his friends wouldn't be able to see it and climbed out the car where he was instantly engulfed by Shawn, Minkus and Topanga.

"Where the hell have you been all day?!" Shawn demanded punching him in the arm.

"We've been trying to get a hold of you since 10 this morning!" Minkus chimed in. His and Cory's eyes met, and as looks between good friends often can, Minkus's stare conveyed a conversation's worth of information. He had kept his promise to Cory, he was genuinely glad that Cory had come to see them off, and while he was dreading what might happen, he had every intention of giving Cory his opportunity with Topanga. Cory slapped on a smile.

"Sorry, I... had an interesting morning," Cory shrugged, "Do you guys still need help getting everything packed up?"

"Yeah, there a couple boxes still up in my room," Topanga said immediately. Shawn gave Cory a look and opened his mouth to speak, but Minkus interrupted him.

"Why don't you and Topanga go up and get those. Shawn and I will get these," he waved at the boxes they'd dropped in the driveway. Cory nodded his thanks and Minkus gave him a small, forced smile. Cory and Topanga disappeared into the house.

"You're a good guy, Minkus," Shawn told him as they picked up the boxes.

"Yeah. I hate that." Minkus growled.

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Cory and Topanga had walked into the house, up the stairs and into the hallway in silence, the accidental revelation at the picnic hanging heavy in the air while Cory kept silently repeating "Topanga I'm in love with you, Topanga I'm in love with you, Topanga I'm in love with you" in his mind, his heart beating like crazy and feeling like he was going to think the words hard enough to make them pop out of his mouth like the cork blowing off a bottle of champagne.

"Wow," Cory actually said, "Your room looks so empty."

"Yeah," Topanga said, "It's so weird."

There was an awkward pause. Cory sat down on her bare mattress before his legs started shaking.

"So where were you all morning?" Topanga asked him as she pulled a few more little things out of drawers and threw them in a box. She needed something to do with her hands. The tension in the air was palpable.

Cory gave a rough, mirthless chuckle, "I... uh. Tried to take the bus home from Shawn's. Got on the 51 instead of the 15. Took me forever to get to a bus that could get me anywhere near a bus that was actually heading the direction I was trying to go." He gave the same odd laugh that was more punctuation than anything else and looked down at his clenched hands. Topanga looked at them too. She could feel the nervousness and desperation emanating from Cory.

Oh, throw him a bone! Topanga thought to herself. She threw another knick knack in the open box, put the lid back on and sat down next to Cory.

"Well, I'm glad you made it," She hugged him, "I was really starting to worry that you wouldn't come to say goodbye to us." She could feel Cory's heart pounding against her own chest, feel his hand shaking uncontrollably against her back, hear his raggedy breathing. Cory and Topanga each felt the moment when the hug had gone on a little too long. Cory felt the pounding in his heart peak...stop... and begin to slow. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, taking in as much of the smell of Topanga's hair, her clothes, her skin as he could and felt his chance to confess to her pass him by. They let go of each other.

"Oh, your cell phone is at Shawn's apartment by the way," Topanga told him standing up and grabbing the box she'd just filled.

Cory tried to think of a way to get another moment, something he could say something he could do. Kiss her! he thought wildly.

"Eric is probably going to be royally pissed at you. You've got a loud ring, and he's got a terrible hangover," Topanga gave a little laugh and Cory felt the tension of potential becoming the regret of the inevitable as his hands shook less, his heart slowed and his breathing evened out. Topanga watched him deflate with resigned commiseration. It was too late. The completely bare room, the full boxes, her parents double checking the directions in the living room. It was just too late.

"Well, you know Eric," Cory said grabbing his own box, "He may not even realize it's my phone, what with people calling it and asking for me and all."

Topanga gave a false laugh and left the room. Cory followed her his fake smile melting right off his face the instant Topanga was no longer looking at him.

Chloe was waiting at the bottom of the stairs "Cory! You made it!" she gave him sideways hug "and just in time too. Topanga, your father would really like to get on the road. Are you almost packed?"

"Yeah, these are the last boxes," Topanga answered.

"Great. Why don't you go throw them in the van, and we can head off for Connecticut where I'm going to leave my little girl to start college and not come back for months," Chloe said in a would-be-light tone betrayed by a small sniff.

Minkus and Shawn were sitting in the back of the van when Cory and Topanga came out. Cory saw both of them search his face for information.

"Well," Topanga sighed, "This is it."

"Yeah." Minkus agreed.

"Good luck, don't forget to write," Shawn bear-hugged Minkus, then Topanga "call us when you get there, make sure you tell us when your fall break is."

Cory couldn't speak through the lump in his throat. Minkus hugged him goodbye "I'll see you around buddy."

Cory saw the tears starting in Topanga's eyes as she turned from Shawn to him, and felt his heart start up again.

"Goodbye Cory," she said shakily.

"Goodbye, Topanga," He whispered hoarsely, "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too." She squeezed him around the shoulders before letting him go and turning away.

Shawn clapped a hand on Cory's shoulder as Topanga, Minkus, Chloe and Jedidiah climbed into the van. The door shut with a crash, the engine started up with a roar and Cory and Shawn stood in the driveway waving goodbye.

Shawn knew from the look on Cory's face not to ask what had happened just yet. He followed his best friend to his car in silence, opened the door and climbed in. He felt something squish under his shoe as Cory pulled out into the street. He picked up the crushed rose.

"Cor?"

Cory looked over and saw the flower in Shawn's hand. His Adam's apple bobbed in his throat as he tried to think of something to say.

"You okay?" Shawn asked.

"No," Cory answered taking the rose from Shawn and throwing it out of the car window, "No I'm not."

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They'd pulled over at a gas station in northern Pennsylvania to use the bathroom and buy snacks.

"What room are you in again?" Minkus asked Topanga as she decided between a Snickers and a Milky Way. She needed chocolate.

"318" She said, "And you're in 305 right?"

"307," Minkus corrected her as she grabbed a Snickers, "So we're on the same floor. And you have Colburn for freshman seminar right?"

"Yeah."

"I'm so excited," Minkus bubbled, "Here, let me get that." He took the Snickers from her and set it on the counter with her stuff.

"Thanks Stewart," she replied. He paid for their candy bars and handed her Snickers back to her.

"This is going to be a great year Topanga," he told her in an odd voice, "I know it." And he did something he'd never done before as he said it. He quickly reached out, grabbed her hand, gave it a hurried squeeze and let go. Topanga looked at him with some surprise and as her eyes met his, she felt the world spin and sensed someone else looking through her eyes and seeing...

Snow outside a dorm window, she and Stewart holding hands in front of it...

cold wet rain with buds beginning to swell on the trees as she walked past Stewart without looking at him and him looking dismayed at the hateful look on her face...

An odd sad look on Cory's face, as he looked past a girl he was sitting with in the regular both at Chubbies and saw Topanga walk down the stairs.

The spinning sped up. Moments became shorter flashes. Topanga and a man she didn't' know kissing by a Christmas tree...a different man in a tux, her in a wedding dress...she and the same man on separate sides of a court... leaving her two kids with a babysitter... images of a future flashed faster and faster then the spinning changed directions, the flashes slowed down and one imaged burned against Topanga's eyelids before she opened her eyes to find herself lying on the bathroom floor in Aunt Prudence's house. An image of Cory seen through a car window-eyes red, lips pursed, misery and loss etched in every line of an expression Topanga had never seen on his face.

She spluttered, sat up and looked around her. One of her legs was covered in shaving cream. A pot of eye shadow was on it's side by her foot. Her straightened bubbled maliciously from the sink.

"Topanga?" Her mother called, "Topanga are you all right in there?"

"Yes!" Topanga answered, "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'll be out soon."

"Okay honey."

She pulled herself up. She had a commencement to go to. And, she thought of the image from... somewhere else, the image of Cory in another driveway, and the completely wretched feeling of seeing him fall farther into the distance, now she knew what she was ready to commence.

_Authoress Note: I had no idea how to finish this story last summer and after a very very strange year I found myself coming back to it. _


End file.
